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U.S. Trade Deficit Widened
In January to $33.26 Billion

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. trade deficit widened a tad in January to $33.26 billion from December's $33.2 billion, denying the Bush administration a political benefit from the economic slowdown.

Administration officials have been hoping that one side-effect of the slowing U.S. economy would be shrinkage in the trade deficit, which would help quiet critics of the administration's plans to expand its free-trade agenda. That isn't happening. The voracious American appetite for imports continued to outstrip exports in January,...